Past Prologue, Part 8

Posted on Thu Mar 14, 2019 @ 9:13am by Commander Caleb Ryan

1,143 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Things Past
Location: USS Winchester/The Borderlands/Omicron Nebula
Timeline: FLASHBACK: 2375/Toward the End of the Dominion War

Ensign Garia Yamit, a Bolian security officer, entered with Lieutenant Doctor Zoe Desatu as Keesmaat was running the mission preflights. Artemis sat in back going over a schematic of what the sensors were able to pick up about the Orion warlord’s base and the Omicron Nebula.

As Garia took her seat in front with Kees, Zpe opened up a black case and pulled out a hypospray. “This won’t offer complete immunity,” she told Artemis, “but the resistance should last a couple hours.”

“That should be enough,” Artemis said. “And I’ve been practicing.” He glanced to the front of the shuttle at the back of Ensign Mira’ni’s head.

“Still, I’m sending along boosters with you, just in case.” She handed a smaller black case to Ensign Yamit.

“Where is Lieutenant Ivanova?” Zoe asked.

“I’m here,” Natalya said as she walked up the ramp into the back of the shuttle. She carried a large black case, which she locked securely in a compartment under the seats.

“Let’s not keep them waiting,” Pierce said, standing and tilting his head to expose his neck for Zoe. There was the sting and hiss of the hypo and he felt a brief moment of lightheadedness, but it passed quickly.

“I’m good,” Keesmaat said, waving away Zoe as she approached with the hypo. “Already immune.”

“I didn’t know that,” Zoe said with a bit of surprise.

“Of course you didn’t,” Kees said wryly, knowing Starfleet doctors knew little about her biology.

When Desatu had finished inoculating the away team, she said, “Good luck,” and stepped down the ramp. Artemis hit the controls to close it up and took his seat.

“Secure yourselves,” Kees warned. “I’m good, but it’s still going to be bumpy.”

Artemis found that Keesmaat hadn’t been exaggerating. The shuttle bounced and jinked in the turbulent eddies of the strong solar wind as it whirled around the planet and its moons. Yet another indication of just how well thought out Tejera’s base of operations was. Pierce noted that Natalya across the way looked a little green.

“Vomit bags are under the seat,” Pierce noted with amusement.

His intelligence chief and Section 31 handler just glared at him.

Things calmed a bit as they neared the surface. “Getting an approach pattern now,” Kees announced. She slipped the shuttle into a low approach toward a narrow tectonic canyon. Dropping below the lip, it took all her skill to avoid splattering them along the walls.

“You think this is some kind of test?” Garia asked, her blue knuckles pale as she gripped the console in front of her.

“This is nothing,” Kees said, clearly enjoying the challenge. “The Fire Canyons on Vulcan are more challenging. They have magma spouts.”

There was a flicker of power disruption as the shuttle’s shields brushed the canyon walls.

“Sorry,” Kees apologized. “That was a bit tighter than I thought.”

They soon reached the end of the canyon and Artemis noted they were flying straight at it.

“Ensign…” Pierce warned.

“I got this, sir,” Kees said. The cool tone of her voice toward him the last few days was absent as she was lost in the fun of the challenge.

“Ensign!” Pierce exclaimed as they passed the point where the shuttle would even be able to veer off.

“Oh, shit!” Natalya exclaimed as they hit the wall…

And sailed on through. The shuttle jerked as Kees suddenly hit the atmospheric breaks, as well as a tractor net.

“What the hell, Kees!” Garia exclaimed. “I think I might need a new uniform!”

“Sorry,” Kees laughed. “Holographic camouflage. And the force field behind it was set with a velocity indexer. If we hadn’t come in at speed, we would have splattered over the canyon wall.”

“You couldn’t have told us?” Natalya growled, pushing back her unkempt red hair.

“Well…” Kees smirked.

Pierce gave her a sharp look. “We’re here,” he said, unbuckling. “Let’s not waste time.”

Natalya unbuckled and then retrieved the black case from under the seats. When the ramp lowered, they found themselves confronted by five very large, very armed Orion pirates, weapons all leveled at them.

“We’re here on business,” Pierce said, holding out his empty hands, giving Ensign Yamit a warning look to keep her phaser holstered.

“You are the one called Pierce?” the lead male rumbled.

“I am,” Artemis replied.

“Leave your weapons.”

Pierce frowned, considering for a moment.

“Leave your weapons or get right back on that shuttle. We might let you reach your vessel intact.”

Pierce nodded and looked at his team. Ensign Yamit and Lieutenant Ivanova didn’t look to keen on the idea, but they drew their phasers and tossed them into the shuttle. Artemis and Keesmaat did likewise.

“Step forward.”

As they stepped off the ramp, Artemis keyed the door controls to seal it up securely. One of the males slung back his weapon and approached with a sensor device. He went along the line of Starfleet officers, scanning each one. When he reached Keesmaat Artemis heard him inhale more deeply and step closer to her.

“I’m going to have to pat you down,” he leered.

“No, you don’t,” Artemis said, stepping forward.

There was the whine of disruptors charging.

“Captain…” Kees said, giving Artemis a look. He thought he saw fear in her wide green eyes. Was that fear for the manhandling she was about to receive, or fear for his safety?

The Orion’s large hands slid over Keesmaat’s body. She held her arms out, standing stiffly as he groped and fondled her. Artemis fumed, impotent to do anything.

“I don’t know,” the Orion smirked. “We might need a strip search,” he said, looking over at his colleagues. “All of us need to be convinced she isn’t hiding anything…anywhere…”

Keesmaat’s knee connected with his groin and the male twice her size doubled over. She slung his disruptor off his shoulder and pressed it to his ear. The other disruptors swung to cover her.

“I think you’re satisfied,” Kees said coolly, tossing the disruptor away where it slid to the feet of the Orion commander.

The commander chuckled. “Feisty. She would make a good slave. Get back in line,” he snapped at his subordinate, and started to berate him in Orion about losing his weapon and letting his man root do his thinking.

Natalya shot Keesmaat a look and smirked. Artemis just sighed with relief.

TBC

Captain Artemis Pierce
Commanding Officer
USS Winchester

Ensign Keesmaat Mira’ni
Chief Flight Officer
USS Winchester

Lieutenant Natalya Ivanova
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Winchester

Lieutenant Zoe Desatu
Chief Medical Officer
USS Winchester

Ensign Garia Yamit
Security Officer
USS Winchester

 

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